Real Estate Freak Show: Coney Island May Get More Amusing, As City Launches RFP For Future Development

The future amusement park and entertainment development that could sweep through Coney Island in the next few years may not have the amusingly macabre tone from the climactic scene in the 1979 cult gang film The Warriors, but the Cyclone and Deno’s Wonder Wheel may just get a lot of company.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation and the city’s Department of Parks & Recreation announced a request for proposals (RFP) for five parcels of land on the Coney Island boardwalk, Commerical Observer first reported.

The nearly 150,000 square feet of land is currently vacant but could fill up the “Peoples’ Playground” with further rides and entertainment — perhaps as soon as 2018.

The five sites are located within the Coney Island Amusement District, which spans from West 10th to West 16th Streets.

Five Coney Island development sites. Parcels A-E. (Image via New York City Economic Development Corporation)

After years of independent rides being closed and a generally dreary and deteriorated boardwalk amusement area, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration and Central Amusements International (CAI) worked together to construct Luna Park in 2010. They opened the Scream Zone in 2011 and the Thunderbolt roller coaster in 2014.

The de Blasio administration is hoping for even more growth.

The mayor’s office wants “to grow jobs in the amusement district, build affordable housing and invest in critical infrastructure,” said NYCEDC President and Chief Executive Officer James Patchett. “It’s all part of our effort to improve quality of life and expand opportunities for Coney Island residents while preserving the unique culture of this historic destination.”

Coney Island has experienced significant growth over the last 16 years when KeySpan Park (currently MCU Park) opened as the home of the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2001. The New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League will be moving into MCU Park this year, with their debut game happening on April 1.

And the Ford Ampitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk opened in July 2016, a 5,000-seat venue which added about 240 jobs to the area, as well as a hefty roster of live concerts last summer.

Local Council Member Mark Treyger is behind these plans. “Expanding the already exciting array of activities in the iconic Coney Island amusement district means more employment opportunities for local residents.”

Proposals are due on March 17, and the city would like to open the amusements by the summer of 2018.